Autoinjector with delayed signal of complete medication delivery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medicament delivery device comprising: a housing; a drive mechanism arranged to act on a plunger rod; a release mechanism interactively connected to the drive mechanism for releasing the drive mechanism from a pre-tensioned state; and a signal generating mechanism for generating an audible and/or tactile and/or visual signal indicating that a medicament has been completely delivered. The signal generating mechanism is operably connected to said drive mechanism such that it is arranged movable in a longitudinal direction in relation to said drive mechanism. Said drive mechanism is arranged with a signal release mechanism capable of activating said signal generating mechanism at a certain longitudinal position of said drive mechanism after its release, for generating an audible and/or tactile and/or visual signal. Said signal generating mechanism comprises a signal delay mechanism.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A medicament delivery device comprising:
 a housing having a distal end and a proximal end, said housing being adapted to receive a medicament container with a delivery member for delivery of a medicament; 
 a drive mechanism arranged to act on a plunger rod, wherein the plunger rod is arranged to act on the medicament container for providing automatic delivery of the medicament; 
 a release mechanism interactively connected to the drive mechanism for releasing the drive mechanism from a pre-tensioned state; and 
 a signal generating mechanism for generating a signal indicating that the medicament has been completely delivered from the medicament container, wherein the signal generating mechanism is operably connected to said drive mechanism such that it is movably arranged in a longitudinal direction in relation to said drive mechanism, 
 wherein the signal is at least one of audible, tactile and visual, 
 wherein said drive mechanism is arranged with a signal release mechanism capable of activating said signal generating mechanism at a certain longitudinal position of said drive mechanism after release of the drive mechanism, 
 wherein said signal generating mechanism comprises a signal delay mechanism operably arranged to delay the generation of the signal after activation of said signal generating mechanism, 
 wherein the signal generating mechanism comprises a signal generating element that is arranged with a tubular body, and 
 wherein said signal delay mechanism comprises a friction enhancing element that surrounds the tubular body of the signal generating element. 
 
     
     
       2. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the friction enhancing element is arranged to act between said signal generating element and said drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       3. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the tubular body of the signal generating element is slidably arranged in a correspondingly shaped passage of said drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       4. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein said friction enhancing element is arranged to frictionally act between the tubular body and a wall of said correspondingly shaped passage of said drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       5. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein said correspondingly shaped passage of said drive mechanism comprises a first section having a first diameter such that said friction enhancing element is in contact with the first section. 
 
     
     
       6. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said correspondingly shaped passage of said drive mechanism comprises a second section having a second diameter such that the friction enhancing element is not in contact with the second section. 
 
     
     
       7. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein said signal generating element comprises an abutment surface, 
 said abutment surface operably arranged to interact with a corresponding abutment surface on said drive mechanism for creating the signal when said abutment surfaces are moved in contact with each other. 
 
     
     
       8. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein said abutment surface is operably arranged to interact with said corresponding abutment surface on said drive mechanism for creating the signal when said abutment surfaces are moved in contact with each other, and wherein the signal is audible. 
 
     
     
       9. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein said abutment surface is operably arranged to interact with said corresponding abutment surface on said drive mechanism for creating the signal when said abutment surfaces are moved in contact with each other, and wherein the signal is tactile. 
 
     
     
       10. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein said abutment surfaces are positioned with a distance between each other when said friction enhancing element is moved from said first section to said second section. 
 
     
     
       11. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said signal release mechanism comprises arms flexible in a radial direction between a holding position and a release position. 
 
     
     
       12. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein said arms are held in the holding position by a support surface positioned radially outside said arms. 
 
     
     
       13. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein said support surface positioned radially outside said arms terminates at said certain longitudinal position of said drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       14. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 12 ,
 further comprising a signal element return mechanism operably connected to said signal generating mechanism for returning the signal generating element of the signal generating mechanism to an initial position of the signal generating element. 
 
     
     
       15. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 14 
 wherein the signal element return mechanism is operably connected to said signal generating mechanism for returning said signal generating element to the initial position of the signal generating element when said drive mechanism is returned to an initial position of the drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       16. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein said signal element return mechanism comprises a pusher element capable of contacting said signal element causing a relative movement between said signal generating element and said drive mechanism. 
 
     
     
       17. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein said support surface is arranged such as to act on said arms for holding said signal generating element after it has been brought to the initial position of the signal generating element by said signal element return mechanism. 
 
     
     
       18. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 , wherein said friction enhancing element is made of a resilient material. 
     
     
       19. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said friction enhancing element comprises rubber. 
 
     
     
       20. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said friction enhancing element comprises plastic. 
 
     
     
       21. The medicament delivery device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said friction enhancing element comprises an O-ring, and 
 wherein said signal generating element is arranged with a groove in which said O-ring fits.